The six days Soren had agreed upon had arrived.
The Battle of Helan Pass had already lasted thirteen days. Ashi Liren, as city lord, had been personally present on the battlefield for five days.
Originally, five days ago, Helan Pass had already been on the verge of collapse.
It was only because of Ashi Liren’s arrival that they had withstood wave after wave of attacks.
Ashi Liren did not possess outstanding military talent, nor did she have outstanding eloquence. She could not rouse the soldiers to boiling passion with a few words.
She had only two things.
Peerless beauty and figure, peerless martial arts.
After arriving at Helan Pass, she did not take over any command authority, nor did she issue any orders.
The only thing she did was lead from the front.
For five days and five nights, Crown Prince Lan Tu had launched eleven assaults, completely without rest.
And Ashi Liren also persisted for five days and five nights, fighting on the front line.
One could say that countless souls had perished beneath her sword.
After arriving on the battlefield, this city lord had not even spoken a single word to the soldiers or generals. She only swung her sword and slaughtered.
Thus, she became the most beautiful sight on the battlefield.
Blood, corpses, and filth were everywhere, yet she alone remained spotless, like a proud blue enchantress blooming atop the city walls.
Even when killing people, not a single drop of blood stained her.
She always appeared at the most critical places. The enemy always saw only the front of her devilish figure, while the defenders always saw only the back of her devilish figure.
She was completely a combination of fairy and demoness.
Though she had not commanded a single battle, without her, Helan Pass would have fallen long ago.
Also because of her absolute will, the high-ranking warrior lords and high-ranking military officers of Rouran City had abandoned their plans to defend the main city one after another, wave after wave of troops entering Helan Pass.
The entire Rouran province had a total of one hundred thousand troops, and over eighty thousand had entered Helan Pass before and after!
After over ten days of bitter fighting, the eighty thousand Rouran troops were now merely less than twenty thousand, and every one of them was wounded.
Over ten days of bitter fighting, sixty thousand casualties!
…
The defenders had suffered such massive casualties, while the attackers had suffered even more.
The three hundred thousand troops led by Crown Prince Lan Tu now only numbered two hundred thousand, with nearly one hundred thousand casualties, over one and a half times that of Rouran City.
Lan Tu was only nineteen years old this year, but from the age of fifteen he had entered the military, training troops, practising martial arts, leading armies to battle!
For a full four years, he had spent most of his time in the military rather than in the Yelan Palace. Therefore he could not fawn over his father Duke Lan Shi daily like Marquis of Snow Lan Ye.
He was a person of great talent and bold vision, constantly filled with a sense of crisis.
Though the greatest supporting force behind him was the Xiliang Kingdom, not a single day passed without him wishing to free his nation from the control of the Xiliang Kingdom and the Yan Empire.
He seized every opportunity to strengthen himself, to strengthen the Yelan Duchy.
Over a year ago, he had set his sights on Tianye City, this neutral trade centre. Once Tianye City was obtained, it could nearly increase the Yelan Duchy’s financial power by twenty percent.
Not to mention, Tianye City had tens of thousands of mercenaries, especially the Silver Wolf Legion under the command of Silver Wolf Yan Yan.
Therefore, after Yan Yan went missing and Yan Shuang (Yan Nai’er) alone commanded the Silver Wolf Legion, he had offered an unimaginably astronomical price.
To marry Yan Shuang as principal wife, and allow her to independently command the army.
At that time, when he proposed to Yan Shuang, it had nearly caused a massive stir in the Yelan Duchy. He had been summoned into the Yelan Palace by Duke Lan Shi and berated for several hours, and punished by his mother Princess Mo Ping with half a day of kneeling.
Because of his marriage, his mother Princess Mo Ping had long since made preparations. It would still be a princess of the Xiliang Kingdom, Princess Mo Ping’s niece.
At that time, Crown Prince Lan Tu had felt boundless sorrow.
He wished to marry Yan Shuang, firstly because he loved her in his heart. Yan Shuang’s personality, martial arts, intelligence, peerless beauty, and devilish figure were all things men dreamed of.
And more importantly, he wished to obtain Tianye City through marrying Yan Shuang, to obtain the Silver Wolf Legion.
He simply did not wish to marry a princess of the Xiliang Kingdom. He wanted to break free from the fate of being controlled by the Xiliang Kingdom.
Later, Yan Nai’er married Soren, and gave the entire Silver Wolf Legion as dowry. And at that time, Soren’s territory had been seized, like a stray dog, nearly possessing nothing.
Upon hearing this news, Crown Prince Lan Tu’s heart nearly spat blood. Yan Nai’er had refused the proposal of a nation’s crown prince, yet had agreed to a good-for-nothing playboy.
Then afterwards, that good-for-nothing playboy Soren had actually reclaimed Tianshui City.
Immediately after, he had defeated the over one hundred thousand allied army to destroy the Suo family, even making Zhi Li look utterly disgraced.
And what made him most indignant was that he had actually established a marriage contract with Princess Zhi Yan, while proud and independent Yan Nai’er had willingly become his concubine.
She would not be a nation’s principal wife, yet would become a vassal’s concubine.
Whenever Crown Prince Lan Tu recalled this, he was endlessly depressed.
And the name Soren, in his heart, became even more deeply engraved, his hatred matchless!
His grandfather Duke Lan Mu had died beneath Count Suo Long’s sword. This was regarded as a national humiliation by the entire Yelan Duchy, and Lan Tu had secretly sworn that one day he would avenge this hatred.
However, Duke Lan Mu had died on the battlefield. Since one entered the battlefield, one must look lightly upon life and death.
Therefore, Crown Prince Lan Tu had thought that when the nation’s power grew strong one day, he must seek justice from the Fury Wave Kingdom, but had not said he would do anything to Soren.
Because he felt that Soren, a mere wastrel, was unworthy of being his enemy.
He had not expected that because of Yan Nai’er’s infatuation, it would instead make Crown Prince Lan Tu unable to forget the name Soren.
…
“Your Highness, the siege troops have already assembled. When shall we attack?” A general stepped forward and asked, his gaze towards Crown Prince Lan Tu filled with veneration.
This crown prince loved his soldiers as his own children, rewarded and punished clearly, and was decisive in killing. In the eyes of the vast majority of soldiers and officers, this was the best future lord, better than Duke Lan Shi.
At this time, the fifty thousand elite troops below Helan Pass had all assembled, ready to launch the attack at any moment.
These fifty thousand troops were the most elite Futu Army in Crown Prince Lan Tu’s hands. In these over ten days of great battle, they had never participated, always conserving their strength. Now they had reached their limit, like tigers that had starved for several days, as if they would choose people to devour.
He knew that the defenders within Helan Pass were now less than twenty thousand, and utterly exhausted.
This wave of attack would only need twenty thousand Futu troops to easily breach Helan Pass.
But he wished to strike with the force of a thousand jun, like thunder, routing the enemy in one blow, thoroughly destroying the morale and fighting spirit of the Rouran army. This way, future battles would proceed incomparably smoothly. Other Rouran City troops would have an incomparably massive psychological shadow upon encountering the Futu Army again.
At this time, Helan Pass was stained with blood, yet still magnificent and imposing.
But he knew this city pass was already fragile beyond endurance. With a wave of his hand, he could thoroughly break it.
His gaze turned towards that peerless figure atop the city walls.
There was no moonlight tonight, yet her dark blue figure seemed to still radiate light.
Ashi Liren, this woman whom he had previously only heard of but never met.
For him, truly, in the north there was a beautiful lady, peerless and independent, capable of toppling nations and cities.
“Such a peerless beauty, it would truly be too regrettable for her to perish.” Crown Prince Lan Tu thought inwardly.
Thus, he wrote a letter, saying, “Deliver this letter to City Lord Ashi Liren atop Helan Pass. Do not attack the city until she replies!”
“Yes!” The warrior took the letter and sprinted out.
…
A quarter of an hour later.
Ashi Liren received Crown Prince Lan Tu’s letter.
In the letter, Crown Prince Lan Tu expressed his admiration for Ashi Liren, and requested that Helan Pass lay down its arms and completely surrender.
In return, Crown Prince Lan Tu would pardon the Ashi family’s crime of rebellion twenty years ago. He would allow the Ashi family to once again pledge allegiance to the Yelan Duchy.
In the latter half of the letter, Crown Prince Lan Tu wrote in rather small characters that Ashi Liren was of peerless magnificence and noble beyond compare, and that Lan Tu greatly admired her, hoping to spend his life with her.
In the future, when he succeeded to the Yelan Duchy, he could restore the Ashi family’s status, and was willing to let her adopted son Ashi Yuan Ba assume the position of Rouran Province Governor.
This latter half was equivalent to Lan Tu’s personal letter. Shortly after Liren read it, these characters completely disappeared, leaving no evidence or leverage whatsoever.
That Crown Prince Lan Tu would actually court her was beyond Liren’s expectations.
Moreover, he had actually promised to let Yuan Ba become Rouran Province Governor when he grew up, which was the position her father Ashi Mo had once held.
This was equivalent to the relationship between the Ashi family and the Lan family returning to its original state.
One could say that if Crown Prince Lan Tu did this, it would bring him incomparably massive pressure.
Whether it was marrying Ashi Liren or pardoning the Ashi family, it would anger Duke Lan Shi, and even most of the Yelan nobility.
But he still made the request, showing how desperate he was to break free from the Xiliang Kingdom and the Yan Empire, and how greatly he valued Ashi Liren.
Liren knew that as long as she surrendered, she could at least preserve the Ashi family and herself.
At this time, on the ground several hundred metres below the city, the fifty thousand most elite Futu troops had already assembled, their gazes filled with killing intent.
This was the most elite force in Crown Prince Lan Tu’s hands, never deployed in the over ten days of great battle.
Liren knew that this letter was Crown Prince Lan Tu’s final ultimatum. And what was about to begin was also the final thunderous strike.
Helan Pass simply could not withstand it. This time, its fall was destined.
At most one hour, and Helan Pass would completely fall. The twenty thousand remaining troops inside would either become prisoners or die completely.
Then, the two hundred thousand Yelan Duchy troops would surge into the thousand li of Rouran City’s territory like a tide. At most one month, and Rouran Province would completely fall.
At that time, unless they fled to Tianshui City, the destruction of the Ashi family was already a foregone conclusion.
Taking a brush, she wrote two characters on Crown Prince Lan Tu’s letter of surrender and courtship. Thank you!
…
A quarter of an hour later, Crown Prince Lan Tu received Ashi Liren’s reply, with two enormous characters. Thank you.
The handwriting was truly beautiful, filled with artistic beauty, cold and elegant! And a mad determination.
Lan Tu could sense Ashi Liren’s determination to perish together with the city.
What a pity, what a pity, what a pity…
Such a peerless beauty, about to perish!
Crown Prince Lan Tu placed the letter over the candle flame to burn it, but after slight hesitation he gave up. Instead he placed it beneath his nose and sniffed, as if he could sense a mysterious and captivating fragrance.
“Attack the city!”
At Crown Prince Lan Tu’s command.
Instantly, killing intent soared to the heavens. The fifty thousand Futu troops, like tigers leaving their cage, like fierce tides, surged towards Helan Pass.
Ashi Liren gazed at the Yelan Futu troops surging towards her like a tide. She did not shout to meet the enemy, nor did she shout anything. She simply drew her Dragon Gold Sword, preparing to meet the enemy.
And the weary soldiers behind her also rallied their final bit of spirit, drawing their damaged great swords, engaging in the final battle.
In these five days and five nights of great battle, though this peerlessly beautiful City Lord Liren had not commanded a single battle, she had already thoroughly conquered everyone’s hearts.
A city lord who led from the front and shared life and death with the soldiers was already sufficient, not to mention such a peerless beauty?
“While the people live, the city lives. When the people die, the city dies!”
No one knew who started it, but then nearly all the defenders of the pass roared with all their might.
Unspeakably tragic, unspeakably fierce.
Everyone knew that Helan Pass could not be held, and Rouran Province would also fall.
But the only thing they could do was perish together with the city, perish together with their lord!
“Boom boom boom boom…”
Amidst the mournful war drums!
The ground trembled, shook!
The fifty thousand Futu troops, like fierce tides, like startling waves crashing on shore, in a few short minutes violently crashed into the city walls.
Then, like ants, densely packed, they scaled the walls.
At this time, the defenders of Helan Pass had shot all their arrows, poured all their boiling oil, and used up all their boulders and rolling logs.
The only things they had left were the damaged great swords in their hands.
Waiting for the fierce Yelan Futu troops to charge onto the walls, they would fight with damaged blades and swords, even with bare hands and teeth.
Perishing together with the city, using death to express their final loyalty to their peerless lord!
Ashi Liren instinctively gazed towards the east, murmuring to herself.
“Soren, whether you succeeded or failed, it is already too late. There is no need to collect my corpse, but please take good care of Yuan Ba and A Nan!”
Tonight, Helan Pass was destined to fall.
I, Ashi Liren, am destined to perish!
…
However, just at this moment…
A cavalry charged into Crown Prince Lan Tu’s great camp, merely over ten men, all heavily wounded, covered in blood.
The leading Dragon Knight rolled off his saddle, knelt before Crown Prince Lan Tu, and said in a hoarse voice, “My lord, the Duke has passed away. The ministers have already supported Marquis of Snow Lan Ye to ascend the throne. I beg the Crown Prince to immediately return the army to Lan Du!”
This person was Ye Zhi Jian, Crown Prince Lan Tu’s trusted attendant, heir to a marquis, future commander-in-chief of the Yelan Duchy’s three armies! Crown Prince Lan Tu had left him in Lan Du precisely to monitor his younger brother Lan Ye.
Hearing his words, Crown Prince Lan Tu was greatly shaken, completely unable to believe his ears.
“Although my father’s body had weakened, he should have had ten years of life remaining. How could he suddenly pass away?” Lan Tu said tremulously.
Ye Zhi Jian said, “Yesterday at noon, the Duke went to the Dragon Altar to worship heaven. Suddenly, an explosion sounded, and the Duke was blown to pieces, while the Duchess perished. Afterwards, Lady Ji Hui and Marquis of Snow Lan Ye sealed off Lan Du. The Dragon Temple’s High Priest Yun Luo publicly announced that it was because Your Highness launched military campaigns during the Dragon Emperor’s three thousandth birthday and the divine dragon’s holy birthday in May that you angered the divine dragon. Therefore heaven sent a warning, and divine thunder from heaven struck the ruler dead. They also said the ruler died in your place.”
Crown Prince Lan Tu’s expression changed drastically.
Not only was his father Duke Lan Shi dead, but his mother Princess Mo Ping was also dead.
Moreover, the Dragon Temple, Princess Ji Hui, and his younger brother Lan Ye were completely colluding together.
Once they established his crime of angering the divine dragon, the abolition of his crown prince position would be imminent.
Ye Zhi Jian said, “My father has already died in battle. We dispatched over a thousand messengers, all of whom were intercepted and killed midway. After fighting through blood, merely over ten of us successfully reached Your Highness! Crown Prince, quickly return the army. Once they establish your crime, once the Dragon Temple confers the title of Duke upon Marquis of Snow, it will be completely too late.”
Crown Prince Lan Tu’s gaze turned towards Helan Pass.
At this time, countless Futu troops were scaling the walls like ants.
At most one hour, and Helan Pass could be breached.
“Crown Prince, if you lose Lan Du, if you lose the position of Duke, what use is it even if you reclaim Rouran City?” Ye Zhi Jian shouted loudly.
Yes, in the current situation, what use was it even if they captured Helan Pass?
Crown Prince Lan Tu’s vision blurred repeatedly, then a mouthful of blood surged up, but he forcibly swallowed it down.
“National traitors, national traitors…” He suddenly struck a fist, shattering the table before him.
His eyes were bloodshot, as if he would devour people.
Then, he loudly ordered, “Sound the gong to withdraw troops, return the army to Lan Du!”
Unwilling, truly unwilling!
Helan Pass was about to be breached before his eyes, Rouran Province was about to be reclaimed, decades of national humiliation were about to be washed away with blood.
In the end, because of internal political struggle, all previous efforts were wasted.
He fought on the front lines, while his younger brother Lan Ye made trouble in the rear, completely disregarding national interests, for the sake of personal gain not only seeking to put him to death, but also plunging the nation into division.
“Return the army, return the army, slay the traitors!”
…
Ashi Liren watched as countless Futu troops fiercely scaled the walls, drawing closer and closer, about to completely overwhelm Helan Pass.
Fall was imminent!
Destruction was imminent!
However, just at this moment, from Crown Prince Lan Tu’s great camp, the sound of a gong to withdraw troops actually rang out.
The entire venue fell into absolute silence.
The Futu troops desperately scaling the walls stopped in astonishment, fearing they had heard wrongly.
Next, the sound of the gong to withdraw troops rang out continuously.
Moreover, many Dragon Knight experts loudly roared, “Withdraw troops, withdraw troops, return the army to Lan Du, slay the traitors!”
Only then did everyone understand. Something had happened in the nation, and they had no choice but to withdraw troops and return!
Thus, the fifty thousand Futu troops, filled with boundless unwillingness, began to retreat.
Like a receding tide, in a short half hour, the fifty thousand Futu troops attacking the city had retreated completely.
Half an hour later!
Crown Prince Lan Tu’s over two hundred thousand troops began to assemble, began to retreat!
The twenty thousand remaining troops atop Helan Pass gazed at all this in disbelief.
Ashi Liren gazed at all this in disbelief.
The Yelan Duchy army had actually withdrawn? Just when Helan Pass was about to fall, they had actually withdrawn?
Soren… he had actually truly done it.
He had actually truly saved Rouran City within six days?
Completely unbelievable?
Then, Ashi Liren recalled her bet with Soren, and could not help but turn her head to glance at her round and pert bottom, though it was still snow white and flawless, fragrant and pleasant.
Did she truly have to wash it completely clean, then present it before Soren, allowing him to spank it as he pleased?
Ashi Liren gritted her teeth. A bet is a bet, and one must accept one’s losses!